Secrets in the Ashes (Scarlett Johansson Fanfic)

Chapter 2: Good Saves and Unexpected Surprises.

Dylan laid on her horn, swerving to avoid the dumbass car drifting into her lane. "Oh My Fucking God, COULD YOU PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO FUCKING DRIVE?!!"

She sped up past the driver, a man absorbed in his phone, and shot him a withering look. The impulse to flip him off was strong, but in today's world, you never knew how someone might react. Confrontation wasn't her favorite, though she could handle it—she just preferred to avoid the stress whenever possible.

Taking a deep breath, Dylan glanced at the directions on her phone, mounted on the dashboard. The arrival time at the bottom read 6:28. Seven minutes later, she pulled up in front of the house belonging to the Whole Foods Parking Lot Fiasco Woman. That's what she had taken to calling her since she didn't know the woman's name yet.

Her Waze app announced her arrival. "Great," Dylan muttered to herself, "but now what?"

The property was enclosed by a tall black metal fence topped with pointed tips that looked decidedly uninviting. Anyone who tried to jump it was sure to get hurt in the process. A closed black gate blocked the driveway leading up to the house, which was barely visible through the trees and bushes that were obscuring the view. Dylan put her car in park, rolled down her window, and scanned the area. A black box with a big red button to the left of the gate caught her eye.

Shifting back into drive, she maneuvered her car next to the box, aligning it with her driver-side window. Reaching her arm out of the window, she pressed the button, and a long beeping sound followed.

The beeping stopped, and the Whole Foods Parking Lot Fiasco Woman's voice suddenly crackled through the intercom, startling Dylan a little in her seat. "I'm opening the gate now. You can pull your car all the way up the driveway, park behind mine, then come in the front door."

"Okay," Dylan responded, as the gate made an unlatching sound and began retracting left to right. She eased her car through and pulled up behind the only car in the driveway, a sleek dark grey Mercedes Benz SUV.

Gathering her things, she stepped out of her car, which, compared to the Mercedes in front of her, looked like a pile of junk. The house, now fully visible, called her broke in three different ways. It was generously sized but not overly grand. Moss and ivy covered the sides of the house, to the point where barely any brick was visible. She liked the moss and ivy; it didn't make the house look neglected and rundown. In a way, it went beautifully with the rest of the property.

Dylan sighed and adjusted her shirt and pants one last time, hoping she looked semi-presentable. As she approached the front door and leaned forward to knock, it swung open at the same moment she reached for it. She stumbled forward, shooting her hands out to the sides and grabbing onto the door frame, barely saving herself from face-planting. Her face hovered just inches from the floor as she took a stabilizing breath, fixing her grip on the frame before slowly pushing herself back up.

As she straightened, Dylan's eyes traveled upward, taking in the woman standing before her. Gone were the baggy sweatpants and sweatshirt from their previous encounter. In their place was a pair of black jeans that hugged her long legs and a silky red blouse with two buttons undone, revealing the smooth curve of her breasts. Dylan knew she was probably gawking, but she couldn't help it. She forced herself to avert her gaze to meet the woman's eyes, only to end up choking on her words as she realized who was standing in front of her. Was this some kind of prank? She must have somehow ended up at the wrong house.

With a strangled gasp, she took a step back, creating some distance between herself and none other than Oscar-nominated and very famous actress Scarlett Johansson. Her usual ability to stay calm faltered for a moment, and she struggled to find her words, emitting only awkward sounds.